Addictive 3D games for Linux users to fill their time with. These games are really good and some have won awards or have been featured on magazines. Most are cross platform and all of them completely free. You don't have to use 'Wine' to be able to play as they come with Linux installers.

Does anyone actually play tux racer? The only time I ever pay it is to see if the 3d card is working. I play for a level remember why the game was trash and forget all about it. It's like tradition to list it on a top 10 linux game list just to have people talk about it.

As far as the rest of the games do any of them have a worth while single player mode, as in a story and not a bot death match?

My kids play it a lot. They love that game. I don't see any use for it for an adult to play however. The kids do get frustrated though, because it's near impossible to complete a level in the time alloted and catch all those fish!

As far as the rest of the games do any of them have a worth while single player mode, as in a story and not a bot death match?

I can tell you about Sauerbraten's single player, which isn't spectacular.

It features a mode that involves getting through a map on a certain route and come out alive. I would compare it with the 1st Quake single player in terms of gameplay. It has switches and hidden areas and monsters that react to triggers, but it's seriously impaired by the lack of advanced machinery that appeared in Quake2 (lifts, advanced doors, complex switches and triggers, and so on), plus its limited to a small set of enemies, a set of Quake skins that were in the public domain, albeit of exquisite quality.

Except the AI is quite dumb (forgets about you once you're out of sight and won't follow around more than one corner). It's very simple to stand on a ledge out of the line of fire, wait for them to gather at the foot of the ledge like sheep and then safely rain rockets or grenades on them. You need a convoluted map to make them avoid this behaviour, but then it means they'll get blocked in some nooks and crannies and you have to look for them. And sometimes, if the map has open edges, they'll fall outside but not quite die, so they're out of reach and you can't finish the levels.

True, the Sauerbraten team focuses on good looking maps and multiplayer rather than single player. Most FPS's do that.

I don't want to diss their work, the maps are superb and I very much enjoy playing multiplayer. Bot deathmatch is ok too, once I've added skins and weapons from Doom and play at high levels in closed maps so they can give me a fair fight, if only in terms of sheer numbers. But indeed, there's no much of a storyline. I heard they're working on a RPG mod, perhaps that will work out better.

Having a "story mode" usually increases the production time of a game project, and is usually out of financial reach for these types of games. You need writers, voice actors, animators specialized in cut-scene animations. It's also not in the spirit of most of these games, which are meant for high replayability and online competition.

I enjoy ppracer. Even if this presents scant interest, I may add that at each version of Ubuntu since Dapper, I improved my time, probably due to technical enhancements of the distro and of the 3D display.

"Had these commercial projects not existed it is VERY doubtful that the bedroom hackers would have come up with it."

I disagree completely. How do you think a lot of game companies got started? Some person hacking it out it out for fun. To be honest, someone else would have came up with the same idea at some point.

You are correct in that a lot of free Linux games are merely clones. However, pretty much everything is a clone of something else. At some point calling something a clone is as worthless as saying all new books are 'clones' because they have words in them.

Many of the original implementations of those games types (e.g., WolfenStein 3D and Doom for FPS games, Dune 2 for RTS games, etc.) were shareware games or small-time commercial games created by very small groups of people, just like most freeware projects are.

I think you'll find that most innovative software ideas over the years have come from either individual developers or very small groups of developers, not large commercial game operations.

TORCS only looks just-about-decent but playing it sucks big time. The level of realism is comparable to that of an excel macro which moves a box on the worksheet. Actually, forget I said "realism". Replace it with "the feeling that the bunch-of-pixels on the screen is an actual car". I myself recall it being achieved already in "Lotus challenge" on DOS 20 years ago. A slideshow of pretty pictures that evolves somewhat depending on the keys you press != a good driving game

Agreed. TORCS is not very realistic. The first time I tried it (with a keyboard) I was disgusted. With a racing wheel & pedals it is 10x better. Still nowhere near to other racing sims like rFactor (The reason I have Windows installed on my desktop).

Either some stupid arcades or plain deathmatch games.. >_> Not everyone likes deathmatch. Besides, there's like twenty gazillion deathmatch/CTF/etc type games out there! But where are the games with an interesting plot, well-designed levels and an interesting single player mode? Or even more preferably, coop play? Haven't seen coop in any proprietary game in ages but atleast most of them have single player mode available.

5 of the ten games are deathmatch type games..It's like those are considered the most important types of games.. And out of those 10 I couldn't find any single one I personally would like. I'd add Frozen Bubble there but it ain't 3D and it too can only keep you entertained for so long.

Personally, I can't be bothered with a game that has no storyline or characters whatsoever - i just don't like the idea of running around some random arena map with a gun just for the sake of it (not counting racing games, but you can hardly compare those mentioned there to anything even REMOTELY decent in the commercial world).

John Carmack once said: "Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."
And I agree completely with him.
Also chess has no storyline, its not high-tech and its really simple to play but does that mean its dull?

On Carmack's games story might not be that important because he focuses on fast paced FPS, but there's a reason why I found silent hill 2 to be an art piece and silent hill 3 to be dull, even when gameplay was pretty much the same on both.

I'd say story on a game is like story on a movie, and then you have genres where it matters and others where it does not.

Either some stupid arcades or plain deathmatch games.. >_> Not everyone likes deathmatch. Besides, there's like twenty gazillion deathmatch/CTF/etc type games out there! But where are the games with an interesting plot, well-designed levels and an interesting single player mode? Or even more preferably, coop play? Haven't seen coop in any proprietary game in ages but atleast most of them have single player mode available.

5 of the ten games are deathmatch type games..It's like those are considered the most important types of games.. And out of those 10 I couldn't find any single one I personally would like. I'd add Frozen Bubble there but it ain't 3D and it too can only keep you entertained for so long.

Oh well...Linux definitely is NOT for gamers.

Maybe it's because id Software is the only one to release their engines under the GPL. And that Top 10 is crap, as many commenters already said, there's a bunch of other interesting games which have nothing to do with FPS.

Games with clever storylines and elaborate single player modes rarely come for free. The problem is that those kind of games require a lot of effort to complete (there is not much point in releasing a half-finished story-driven game) and they are not much fun to play for the developers themselves.

It is far easier to create free games based on a timeless concept, either something simple (but often fun and challenging) like deathmatch shooters or something more inspired. You can release early and often and you can have fun playing your own game with a lively community.

Note that this is a list of free games, not merely Linux games. The situation with free games isn't any different on Windows and there are obviously far more interesting commercial games on Linux, too.

If you don't like Frets on Fire even a little bit, you are very hard to please though!

If you don't like Frets on Fire even a little bit, you are very hard to please though!

I don't like it. I rather play real guitar:) ...and have PS2/PS3 for gaming. So this thread is useless for me, but I can understand why the addiction to Frets of Fire, Rock Band, Guitar hero...

But on the other hand, Frets of Fire might be even more interesting if Rock Band controller would work with it. As I gather Rock Band controller is just a small deviation of PS3 Sixaxis controller, which already works in linux.

But where are the games with an interesting plot, well-designed levels and an interesting single player mode? Or even more preferably, coop play?

Rune was bloody briliant in this respect. A FPS based on melee-weapons, with a great storyline and plot, rich levels, coop mode, deathmatch, excellent weapons and clever enemies. Unfortunately the Linux port went down with Loki Games and nowadays it's difficult to buy a copy. Blessed are those that got one. It's been years and I still get the urge to play through every once in a while. There are a select small number of other FPS's I ever enjoyed this much: Oni, Half Life and Descent.

Comes on people, these sorts of games were golden and still are despite not looking as good as their propitiatory counter parts. Anyone who says Linux is not a gaming OS need to rethink their ways(Nvidia drivers are of a high standard to boot), Linux has the potential to be just as good gaming OS as Windows bar nothing.

The average Joe would be more than happy with these games on Linux but lets face it, most people dont play games anyway.

None the linux games gives any trouble for me. Just install them and off we go.

Making Diablo 2 run on Windows using an Intel chip-graphic fake-thing does however require fiddling the a text configuration file. Found out about that when a friend had that problem (a good reason to buy a PC with a real graphics card).

Or the endless problems with Steam not connecting to servers, requiring you to delete the client-blob thing in order to play - or with Win2K trying to play Worms 2. Forget about the animations. They won't play.

"Anyone who says Linux is not a gaming OS need to rethink their ways".

Gaming is not just about having good graphics drivers. You also need good sound drivers, good drivers for game controllers (supporting force feedback). Only if you have all of those AND support from the big guns in the market ("big" meaning the caliber of Ubisoft, EA, you get the idea) you can say that linux is a gaming OS. I just don't see that happening in a year or two

Of course, Joe Average is perfectly happy playing Solitare at work on his WinXP workstation but you can hardly call that gaming...

Linux has Force Feedback support, by the way. I don't think most distributions enable it in the kernel, but the support is there. And I haven't really seen a gamepad lately that isn't supported. Even the Playstation 3 controller works. Someone is even hacking away at getting the motion sensors working in it. I know the Wii controller works as well.

As far as support from the big names.... It's been my personal experience that most of the games by EA suck, and Ubisoft unfortunately is going down hill. It's usually the indie developers that actually crank out the better games (though some of them need better voice actors).

I am a linux, mac, and windows users. I also used to be a gamer and still know alot of people who are. I am not trying to start a flame war, I was being completely serious. I thought the end of the parent comment was quite insightful. Linux games have moved incredably far in the last few years, and alot of people would be happy with it. But I know gamers, and they would not.

My roomate is hardcore, he barely works, barely has a social life, doesn't have a girlfriend, and basically spends his life in front of the computer and game console. WoW is his drug of choice, and he would never even CONSIDER a platform it doesnt support. After that, he is a HUGE cs source guy, and I doubt he would find a q3 variant to be good enough. I brought up Bioshock, cause imo that was the best game of the last few years. I actually played through it, and I barely even game anymore. The story was beyond fantastic, the graphics were great, and the gameplay was innovative (if not that challenging).

All that being said, frozen-bubble, solitaire, and et are pretty much the extent of my gaming nowadays, but I am not a gamer. For people like me, linux is more then good enough. For someone like my roomate, it is not even close.

EDIT: and my DS. I love my DS. My roomate has a PSP and thinks I am a retard for buying a DS even though the PSP is dirt cheap. It is another great example of the difference, I bought it because every game is designed to be picked up, and played for 15-45 minutes, then put down. The PSP is more geared towards long gaming sessions, which I really don't have the time or inclination for.

Your friend is then obviously not an average gamer, nor sane in any way.

My friend is what the term "gamer" applies to, a person who defines themselves by the fact that they play games.

Who gives a shit about WoW apart from your nowhereman-friend, living in nowhereland? There are several good 3D-games for POSIX-systems.

Over 6 million, five hundred thousand people so far. It is one of the most successful games in history. http://www.mmogchart.com/

Your behaviour in this thread is getting rather close to that of moulinneuf. There are games on Windows not available on Linux (or *BSD) but the games available are equivalent to those on Windows.

And you compare ME to moulineuf??

###begin lol_area_###

Fact is that no games released the last 10 years are worth playing. Therefore a real gaming OS needs C64-emulators and DOSBox of course.

###end lol_area###

When did I ever say that? What I implied was that if you are a serious gamer, the choice between windows and linux is self-evident. If you think that is irrational trolling, either you are a religious fanatic and need some help, or woefully ignorant about what you are talking about and shouldnt be throwing stones.

Hey, Tux Racer isn't that bad. The only problem is that the tracks are,well, not that great.
When I first played Mean 18 on the Amiga way back I too thought it would be cool to have holes that was 99% water, spelled my name or looked like a penis. It was cool...for about 5 minutes then it became tedious and frustrating. The Tux Racer tracks are pretty much like that.

That's an underwhelming list for sure. Five team-based shooters, three race games, and two others...

It's also disheartening that not a single game on that list is exclusive to Linux. Now ~that~ would be an interesting list, "Top Ten Free Linux-Only Games," and would show the true status of Linux gaming.

It's also disheartening that not a single game on that list is exclusive to Linux.

Linux is about sharing. The "free" in free games stands for freedom.

You probably meant that there aren't many commercial games exclusive to Linux. Which is perfectly normal and not disheartening in the least. Game companies work for money first and they'll go for the largest userbase. Second, to develop for Linux means using OpenGL and that automatically means portability.

You probably meant that there aren't many commercial games exclusive to Linux. Which is perfectly normal and not disheartening in the least....

I understand and appreciate your reply post.

But no, I'm not distinguishing between free and commercial products, but refering to the overall state of Linux gaming.

My thoughts are in regards to who uses games on Linux, and how and why. If the idea is to provide entertainment for existing Linux users, then ports/mods/clones of Windows games could be enough.

But if "Linux Gaming" wants to be taken seriously, what's needed is software titles that are original, exclusive, and memorable. Part of that is having stimulating 3D graphics and sound, but it also requires developers to offer an engaging story, create an overall atmosphere, develop reasonable AI of computer characters, and expand into new game styles and genres. I'd say that ~none~ of the games on this Top Ten list make the grade with regards to any of those criteria.

-----------------

OT, but related:
It's too bad that Morphix Gamer faded away. It was 'only' a LiveCD, but at that time it was also the only distro that properly recognized and initialized my system's 3D graphics card...

But no, I'm not distinguishing between free and commercial products, but refering to the overall state of Linux gaming.

But that's just it, you can't possibly bundle them together. FOSS and closed software have completely different dynamics.

Closed software makers will produce their stuff in-house, behind closed doors, with a well-organized team. Their goal is to make money. To achieve that goal they will identify the largest userbases, the profile of the typical gamer and the stuff he likes best. When selling they will use copy protection and try to control distribution as much as possible. They will actively promote their products using marketing, advertising, deals with stores (brick or online) etc.

So yes, in that respect your next statement is correct:

My thoughts are in regards to who uses games on Linux, and how and why. If the idea is to provide entertainment for existing Linux users, then ports/mods/clones of Windows games could be enough.

Indeed, ports, mods and clones are quite widespread and I'd dare say that they're the most succesful form of gaming on Linux.

But let's think about how FOSS works. The developers are basically people who start by scratching a personal itch. They're also very likely to be at least a bit of a geek, engineering types, programmers and the such. They're going to aim for efficiency and stuff like that, not entertainment. They'll get an engine going, throw in the minimum in terms of artwork and be done with it. They're getting their fix. Their idea of entertainment is getting collision physics just right or a new FPS engine. Not the actual gaming.

But how many of these types are going to also be enclined to produce artwork? How many are graphical artists or musicians? How many have the literary skills to write an attractive script? There are all kinds of skills that the original developers may lack and short of asking for help there's not much they can do.

Take Foobillard for instance (pool game). Good physics, gorgeous graphics, good controls, sounds, 4 gametypes. But only the simplest dumbest AI. The author doesn't know how to go about implementing better AI and so far I haven't seen anybody stepping in to help.

Sure, these are all problems that can be overcome. But it's up to the whim of strangers. Someone may come in from the street one day and help. Usually they don't.

Bottom line is, these are games created by geeks for themselves, without a lot of research or goals of achieving marketshare or making money. So there's always going to be a limit to how, well, sexy will such a game be. I presume that what we have today is as good as it gets as far as FOSS games are concerned. Sure, a concentrated effort may spark an exception here and there, but still it's an exception.

Whether commercial producers start making games for Linux remains to be seen. I wouldn't hold my breath. Windows on the PC is a small market, Linux is even smaller. So I seriously doubt it. The best chance for a breakthrough will most likely come from an emulator.

There are many people out there making story driven mods that don't make money. Similar to OSS community. The momentum is building for linux gamming, but we just haven't reached the flashpoint. If we took a great opensource engine and made good enough modding tools, I think we'd have plenty of good single player and multiplayer linux goodness. Think of all the half life, neverwinter nights, battlefield '42 mods... If you search for open source game engines, you get some interesting results. I think in a few (2?) years things will firm up in this area, and I could be happy with a Linux/GPL Lan party. Right now, it would be kinda lame. I need something better than Q3 graphics.

Descent freespace 2 is now a free game. They must have known they were going out of business when it shipped because the EULA actually says you can give away copies for free to your friends. As such, it is easily found online. They have even redone the engine to run natively on Linux. Plus there are some really good mods for it, like the babylon 5 mods.

The fact that X-Plane exists dispels two common falacies about games (on Linux):

1) Linux has no commercial games and if it did they wouldn't be supported, and

2) It isn't commericaly possible to write cross-platform games (which is horsesh!t, the big companies are just too damn lazy, since little companies can do it all the time).

If games were written *only* for Linux it wouldn't make sense (since Windows has a far larger market share) but if they're written cross-platform from the start then there is no reason why Linux version can't also be written (as a few companies already do, like ID).

Remember a blockbuster game sells a few million copies (across all of PC, Xbox, and Playstation). There are 20 million (or so) Linux desktops out there, and the people who run Linux are probably more likely to pay for games than the average user. Hopefully companies will one day cotton-on that the Linux market isn't too small anymore for ports of commercial games.

And what a pathetic list. Personally I would have put a few other 3D games on it like oolite, neverball, Auteria, lincity ng, planeshift etc.

Why 3D, so many people think Graphics is the game but it is not. Graphics is just something that goes on the top. There are many more excellent Linux games that are 2D than there are 3D games. Actually that comment goes for Windows/DOS too. Just because a game is 3D does not make it good.

The Linux game I've spent the most time with is the Privateer Remake. Of course only a fraction of that time has been spent playing it. For me it's often the case that working on something (a map, a skin, a mod) can be far more fun than playing something, and PR took that to an extreme